Just Me

2009-04-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

So Easter has passed and I feel like I have eaten my weight in chocolate and jelly beans yet I still find it hard to resist them...We had a lovely holiday. The kids had fun hunting eggs. Jonah and I enjoyed making some delish pasta together. We kept things pretty low key. It was nice just being together. Enjoying each others company. You never know what will will happen before Easter next year. I really appreciate all the kind words and prayers you all have sent my way. It really means a lot to me.

Long time...

2009-04-08T19:49:00.000-07:00

It has been forever since I blogged but I am addicted to facebook and it is just so easy to keep people updated. Blogging is a stress to me sometimes...Anyway, I am going through a lot right now. I am thankful for the support of my amazing friends! I was fortunate enough to get together with Amy, Michelle, and Ana. We had a great time together and cant wait to see each other again. I am feeling a little sad also. I hate it when people are not who they say they are. People that are rude and cruel, and down right hurtful Friends don't belittle you. Judge you and act superior. These are not Friends and I have no room in my life for it. It is sad. I will not lie and say I am over it. I am hurt. I feel sad for kids involved. I pray they find peace some how...

I leave you with 2 photos that i took when I saw my girls...Amy I admit we all need some of that right now.

Peace

business cards...

2009-01-10T13:14:00.000-08:00

I have been tryinging to come up with a few ideas for possible business cards...Don't know how successful I have been but I wanted to post a couple that I have done

photo overload....

2009-01-08T10:56:00.000-08:00

As promised I am back to share some photos.. I took a few of Ava as we were heading out to preschool. There are some of our trip to the pottery where we painted our own pieces. I also uploaded a few from Christmas.Today was her fist day since mid December. I am happy to get back into a routine. I have been really lazy about my workouts so today I am glad to be back to normal....

I just adore Ali Edwards and am so inspired by her. I decided to take part in the One Little Word prompt. This year my word is Aspire- 1 : to seek to attain or accomplish a particular goal 2 : ascend , soar. Such a wonderful word. I hope to incorporate it in to so many aspect of my life. I aspire to be a better mother and wife. I also was to set a professional aspiration. I finally decided to take the plunge and go in to the photography business. I am excited and nervous Wish me luck...

Hello

2009-01-07T11:55:00.001-08:00

I am still here. Busy with CHristmas as all of you were too. I have tons of pics to share so I will post tonight with all of them. I did manage to get my december album done! So happy with it. I will do one next year for sure!! Until next post....

Keeping busy...

2008-12-16T05:24:00.000-08:00

Wow I am so busy lately that I did manage to get a little behind on my journal. I am happy that yesterday I got all caught up again.

I am still trying to get my shopping done. It is getting closer but still not everything is out of the way. I will be so glad when the shopping is over...

Tonight is Ava's Christmas Program and everyone is excited. She has bee working so hard on all of her songs and poems. I am sure it will be so cuuute!

Hope you enjoy the pages. Sorry for the overload...

Day 10....

2008-12-10T20:17:00.000-08:00

This will be short and sweet. Here is day 10....

Could you all please say a little prayer for my moms sweet little beagle Michelle. She is 14 and not doing very well. I hope she is not suffering.. :(

Documenting Day 9

2008-12-09T22:17:00.000-08:00

Wow it is hard to believe that it is already day 9...I am still amazing myself that I am so diligently working on the album. I am so happy that I am creating this for my family. I hope to do this every year. If any of you thought of doing it and didn't decide to do so, I urge you to do one next year. It truly is an awakening. I am noticing so many little things. I am really making the most of this holiday season. Ok I am rambling...Today I decided to document our bedtime routine. Every night is the same. Ava, Joey, Daddy and I get on Ava's bed and read. I love this part of my day. She is so sweet and happy. We are reading a lot of holiday books right now and it is really building the excitement for Christmas.

Today I did a little shopping. I am finally seeing the light. I am super impressed with Amazon.com. Cathy gave me that little nugget. I ordered some gifts yesterday and the arrived in less than 24 hours! How flippin' cool is that??? Genious I tell ya. Hope you all have a truly blessed day...

Pages 7 & 8

2008-12-08T22:23:00.000-08:00

Tonight we had Jonah's Holiday concert. It was very nice. His band was awesome! Hard to believe they have only been playing their instruments for a year...Ava did well sitting for an hour and a half. She Sang along to all the songs she recognised. She was really good. I am so loving Santa because she says she will only be good now since Santa is watching. Even though last night she said he wasn't watching because he was too busy in the North Pole because it was his busy time LOL. None the less the Santa bribe is working very nicely...Here are pages 7 & 8 and the back of the green tag has the jounaling about the conert...Have a wonderful Tuesday!

2008-12-08T13:43:00.000-08:00

for those of you that wanted to see the completed ornaments here they are...I will be posting tonight with the past 2 days of pages for the journal!!!

Happy Saturday!

2008-12-06T20:53:00.000-08:00

Wow I can't believe it is already Saturday night! The weekends seem to go so quickly...Today Ava and I went to the craft store to pick up some supplies for our ornaments we are making and she found something amazing-glitter glue! She is dying to play with it tomorrow. I so hope it isn't too messy LOL..Tonight we all went out to dinner and did a little shopping. Jonah has a Christmas Concert on Monday so he needed a new pair of pants and a Santa hat. I still have not bought any more gifts. I really need to get motivated...I am keeping up on my journal. Here are yesterdays and today's pages. Hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Pages 3 and 4 :)

2008-12-04T22:50:00.000-08:00

I felt a little lazy and didn't blog with my page for the third. So here are both pages...I am happy to report all of my decorating is done and I am very pleased with how everything came together this year. Makes me so happy that it is all up to enjoy. I just wish I had a better start on my shopping. I think it will be fairly easy since the boys want big items and that means less shopping. See there is a perk to them wanting more expensive gifts right??? Ava is super easy to buy for and that means I need to just get going on it and then I can relax. The only tough person on my list is John. He has everything he wants or needs and gives me no clues. So I am thinking he would love a Canon 50mm 1.2 lens!!!!Anyone else with me on that??? LOL Seriously,I need to figure something out...I got a fabulous recipe from the uber crafty Amy for applesauce ornaments. We are going to make them this weekend for Ava to give to her teachers and I am sure my mother would love one as well. It should be fun! I thought since i would be needing mass quantities of applesauce and cinnamon I should go to Sam's Club, you know buy them in bulk, so I carried them in and left them in the mud room and John came in from work and was like " What on earth is all of that applesauce and cinnamon for??? LOL So be sure and check in over the weekend and see the pages as well as some awesome ornaments!!! :) Have a wonderful Friday!

Day 2...

2008-12-02T21:31:00.000-08:00

I managed to complete page 2 of my album. I am really trying to not stress and keep it fun. Today I kept it much simpler. I am really looking forward to working on the pages at the end of the day. I hope this continues....

Today we had Ava's parent teacher conference. Her teacher is so sweet. Right off the bat she had to pull out Ava's letter to Santa. She said she was so touched she almost cried when they were working on them. She was shocked that Ava didn't ask Santa for anything for herself. Here is what the letter says...

Dear Santa,
I would like you to bring a present for my Daddy.
I really like candy canes.
Love,
Ava

She is so sweet. I can't believe it is possible but I love her a little more every day. This holiday season I am feeling very blessed for my family. I hope you all feel blessed as well.

Stop by tomorrow for day 3 !!!

Documenting December

2008-12-01T19:56:00.000-08:00

I started working on my December album today. It is a project that I am happy to have followed through with. I usually want to start a project like this but procrastinate and then feel bad about not acting on it. I think this will be different. I have all the pages ready to go so all I have to manage is one small page a day. I am just letting go and having fun with it. It is all about the memory keeping. :)

Anyone else getting really excited this year? I know all of us here at my house are very excited. I think having a 3 and half year old around really gets you in the spirit of the holiday. I hope you all check in every day because I am going to do my best to update daily with my album pages. Hope you all have a wonderful day!

First Snow

2008-11-30T12:01:00.000-08:00

We woke up this morning to a little snow. The kids were so excited to go out and play. They had tons of fun sledding, throwing snowballs and building a snowman. When we finished building him Ava wanted to bring him inside. She is so cute. :) I hope this is a sign we will have snow this winter. We usually don't have snow until much later. We are all crossing our fingers for a white Christmas.

We have been decorating. Our tree is up and quite a few other decorations. Just a bit more and we will be all finished. This Christmas is going to be so much fun. Ava is so into it this year. Yesterday she told me Santa was her best friend.

I am also excited to start my 25 days of Christmas Album. This year will be so memorable and I will have the album help record little bits I might other wise forget.

Hope you all have a lovely Sunday!

Monday....

2008-11-24T13:01:00.000-08:00

It is Monday and I just attended Ava's feast at her school. It was fun for her to have lunch with Mommy and Daddy. It was not as much fun to sit on the very small chairs. LOL

This weekend I worked on creating an album. It is a daily album for the month of December. I made it from scratch and just had fun playing. I think it is going to be so much fun to work on this Christmas. I will post a terrible photo of the album just to give you an idea...

Ava is really developing an imagination. She loves to play "school". I found her in her play room the other day reading to her kids. Not the best photos but it was so very cute. She plays this all the time. She even made cots for her kids from cardboard. She is so fun to watch.

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

More Photos from Janine!

2008-11-12T19:58:00.000-08:00

I have been dying to see the rest of the photos Janine took at our photo shoot. Today I received my disc and I love so many of them. The first is my favorite! It was such a beautiful location and Janine is so talented! I can't wait to get so many of them framed and on to the walls! Not much else going on hope you enjoy the photos....

Just playing....

2008-11-08T10:11:00.000-08:00

I rented a 50mm 1.2 lens and I have been trying to play with it. I would love to take the plunge but it is around 1500. Maybe I will make it a business investment....
We are starting to gather the Christmas decorations. I normally wouldn't be so eager this early but Ava is over the moon excited for Christmas this year. It is going to be so much fun. :) We may even go see Santa sometime over the weekend. I hope this year I don't have to join her on his lap. :)..Enjoy the photos :)

Photos by the Fab Janine Walker.....

2008-11-05T07:52:00.000-08:00

John, Ava, and I traveled to NY/PA to visit some wonderful friends. One of the highlights of the trip was a photo shoot with Michelle's sister Janine who was visiting from Northern Ireland. She is uber talented and I adore her work. I would loved to have been able to take all of the kids but it just wasn't a possibility this time. So I guess that means we will have to do it again right??? Here are a few of the sneak peaks that were my favorites. I jut adore the series of Ava and Mama. I felt she really captured our love.... Enjoy!

Cutest Witch Ever...

2008-11-02T19:41:00.000-08:00

At the last minute Ava decided to be a witch and leave the Belle costume for playing around the house. I think she looked completely adorable! We spent Halloween in PA with Michelle Cathy and Amy and all their families. It was so much fun. :) I will blog more later, right now I am too tired.....Have a lovely Monday.

A few photos to share...

2008-10-26T05:17:00.000-07:00

We had a relaxing day at home today and decided to take a few photos. I asked Jonah to take a few of Ava and I since we haven't had one for a while. I think he did a great job. He really like to shoot as many frames per second as possible. Maybe he will one day love action photography???

We also took Ava to Libby Lu but I haven't edited those pics yet. I will post them this week sometime...We are getting ready to visit some great Friends this weekend for lot of fun Trick-or-Treating birthday parties and last but not least- a photoshoot with Janine Walker! I am over the moon excited about it. I have loved her work since I first saw it a few years ago. So I will be dying to share those when we get them back! We are flying to NY and Ava is very excited to see everyone again as well as I am. Can't wait to see Amy, Michelle and Cathy

Thant is all for now have a lovely Sunday!!!

I miss this baby....

2008-10-23T21:10:00.000-07:00

I found this photo while I was working in photoshop. It totally made me smile. How flippin' cute is she??? I just love the little girl that lets me live here but I really miss the little chubby baby sigh...She really is growing up. She has been telling me that she has a boyfriend named Reed. When I picked her up today she didn't want to leave him. They were putting together a puzzle. She hugged him goodbye and then they chased eachother around the table. Miss Ashley said they are the bestof friends and always love to play together. They were very cute. So like I said, I really miss my little one...

A few fall photos!

2008-10-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

Today before preschool Ava wanted to play in the leaves so we took a few photos. They are kinda cute...On the way out of the driveway we saw Troy lying in the sun so I snapped one of him too. I just love to see the horses lying down. It means they feel safe and comfortable and it totally makes me happy inside. :)

We didn't do much this weekend. John is still working on the barn trying to get it all ready for winter. So we have been staying at home. That is ok with me. :)

Jonah went to his first dance on Friday. It was so fun o hear all about it. He had so much fun. He danced with the girls and he was quite proud that he was the only boy not afraid to do so. My favorite story was when a very popular 8th grade girl danced with him. Yes, 8th grade! So after my inital shock wore off, I heard the story...She said " Pretty soon your oppinions will change about dancing with girls. Jonah Said " They already have." When I asked him what that meant he said "Well you know boys think girls are all eeeww and I actually dont." So I said I guess you were {the man} at the dance? Jonah " Yeah, pretty much" I hope I am ready for this...

A little of Jonah to brighten your day...

2008-10-14T10:10:00.000-07:00

I know I don't blog enough about this little guy. It is not that I don't love him with all of my heart. It is hard to balance a little one and all of the milestones of preschool and such. I just want to have a post for my little boy. I know he is not so little. On Saturday he asked me to take some photos of him on his ramp. A sports photographer I am not but when a boy asks for photos I can't say no as this opportunity doesn't happen very often. He is an amazing skateboarder. He works so very hard and I am so impressed by his skills. He just works so hard at it. I really could not ask for a better boy and I am truly blessed. I hope you all enjoy the photos. have a lovely day!

The second week of dance...

2008-09-29T19:57:00.001-07:00

Today is Monday which means it was Miss Ava's second week of dance class. I made sure we got to class early so that I could get the one seat by the door. I wanted to get some photos of how cute she is dancing. She loved it just as she did the week prior. She kept looking over her shoulder from time to time and if she saw I had the camera out she would give me a big cheesey grin. It was so funny. She really knows how to work the camera. LOL Enjoy the cuuutest ballerina ever...

My Beautiful Ballerina....

2008-09-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

Last night Ava started dance class. She had been waiting so patiently for Monday evening. Everydayshe would ask if it was Monday. Her class is both ballet and tap. They started wuth ballet and I thought she would like tap more than ballet since the shoe are so loud. This was so not the case. She adores ballet! She danced all evening in her pink slippers and kept saying I am a beeeuuuuteeeeful ballerina. Yes, I thinks so too.

Once a week....

2008-09-18T20:45:00.000-07:00

OK so I am down to updating once a week. Not the greatest but hey it is better than once a month...Ava is over the moon excited as she is starting ballet and tap classes on Monday. I hope she has fun. :) She is still enjoying her preschool and I am so proud of her. She has already learned all of the months of the year. I am thinking of taping it and putting it on youtube. I know you are all dying to watch...So I am still crazy into my workouts. I am really seeing changes in my body. I decided to renew my subscription with my Bodybugg. It is a great tool for anyone that is struggling to loose wight and for me it really helps me to modify my workouts if need be. I am sure sales of them will be skyrocketing as it was featured on the biggest looser. I am happy that he price has really come down since I bought mine in 2006. So excited that the Biggest Looser is on again this season. I really LOVE watching how much these people can achieve in such a short time period. I love the Bob and Jillian. I go back and forth on which one I would love to have kick my butt LOL...Here is a layout I did this week that I thought I would share. I am scrapping a lot just not posting it publicly. I am submitting a lot and most of the magazines want layouts never posted. :(

Friday eve...

2008-09-11T10:29:00.000-07:00

It is Friday eve.. My house it quiet and it is very nice. I have some time to myself while Ava is at preschool. I managed to edit a few pics before I go workout. I am trying to stay on a roll with this blog thing...We may go to Chicago for the weekend. John has a seminar so I thought of taking Jonah and Ava to do a little sight seeing. I am sure they would enjoy it. I know I would love to spend some time with them. :)...Have a wonderful day!

Happy Monday!!

2008-09-08T07:11:00.000-07:00

It is Monday! I know it is really not that exciting but it is nice to get back in our routine. Ava was happy to go to school today. So glad she is happy. It has helped me to keep things in better order around the house. I think I am getting more content every day....This weekend we celebrated my niece Bella's birthday. She was so adorable. I hope she had a wonderful day. I did get some adorable photos...Ava got a new doll yesterday and she has been so cute. She decided to name her Lilly. :) I will try to get a photo of her with little "Lilly". She just keeps saying "Oh she spit up all over herself." She then has to change her clothes and pretends to sprays stain treater on the clothes. It is so cute...Hope you have a wonderful day!

Hello

2008-09-04T08:46:00.000-07:00

Today was Ava's third day of preschool. She is having so much fun. She had been going through this phase where she would not wear dresses. So since she started preschool she has been all about dresses. She picks out which one the night before and then lets me snap away with the camera before we leave. I was a little worried for a while she had lost a little of her girlie-ness...

I have been trying to log my runs with my Nike+ but it has been a pain. Yesterday it uploaded then deleted my run. I was really looking forward to seeing how it looked since I pretty much kicked my own butt. So I will try again today...

Today is Jonah's guitar lesson so it should be fun. We always have some Starbucks afterward. Ahh good times....Have a wonderful day!

First Day of Pre-school....

2008-09-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

OK I know I suck at blogging. Honestly I am just lazy....OK today was Miss Ava's first day of Pre-school. She has been waiting so patiently all summer and was thrilled today was the day. She was lucky to have cousin Bella in the same class. I think it will be fun for them to share this together. I made a little collage of the photos I took this morning. They looked adorable!

I am still running and I got the Nike Shoxx Experience. I am also using the chip so I can log my pace, distance and such. My friend Cathy has them also. I think we should challenge each other. Pretty cool little gadget. :)

Well that is about all that is new here. Have a lovely day!!

Photoless post...

2008-08-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

Wow, I think this is a first. A post with out any photos. I am really not picking up my camera at all. To be quite honest I never seem to have a spare minute to pick it up. I am still working full time and when I finish at work I have the animals to take of so before I know it is dark. I am challenging myself to get some photo this weekend!...I am still working out like a mad woman. I have really missed being this obsessed with fitness. I keep creating new challenges for myself and I am having so much fun accomplishing my goals. I am really not stressing about the scale and honestly I am not getting on it so much. I will say that as I sit here I have on a pair of jeans I haven't been able to fit in to for almost 2 years. Feels pretty good-Heck it feels very good...Not much time before school begins. I am not so excited but I am ready to get things going. I guess every journey begins with a single step...

2008-07-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

Hello...Nothing too exciting going on here. I havent been taking the camera out much. I did manage to stumble on to these cute photos of Ava and the goats. Don't really know how I missed them...I know this is really exciting but just wanted to let you know I am still alive and share a few cute photos...

Happy Wednesday!

2008-07-15T19:37:00.001-07:00

We had a great day at the water park. I cant believe how brown my child has become. We have nicknamed her Brown Bear. She was very excited to be picked up before nap time today. She had lots of little ones to play with so it was a great day...We are taking Thursday off from work. Not sure what we will be doing. Most likely we will be resurfacing Jonah's skate ramp. We had to relocate it since building the barn. I am sure he will be glad to have it back in action...Jonah has become very interested in the Food Network. He is always watching and is so eager to learn how to cook. Tonight he helped me make pesto chicken pasta. I am hoping this pans out since I really don't particularly like to cook maybe he can take over someday. :) I am off to play Guitar Hero Aerosmith!!It looks as though blogger is cooperating so I can upload some photos. I love this one of Mommy and Ava playdo people.

Flickr: sophiejoey's Photostream

2008-07-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

Flickr: sophiejoey's Photostream

Been quite a while...

2008-07-14T20:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, it has been a long while. I have been busy with summer. Busy with work. Busy with kids and animals. I debated whether or not to post. Was not quite sure anyone reads now that I have sucked so bad at updating....I have been enjoying the kids. We had a ton of fun playing on the slide with the water hose. I don't know who had more fun Drake and Jonah or Ava. I got a few cute photos of them...We are still in the process of building our barn. The weather has not cooperated much. Lots of rain. But is finally coming a long. I will also add a few of it as well...I am taking the kids along with my nieces to the pool tomorrow. Should be fun. Lots of things to do and a killer water slide that I can even take Ava on. I can't think of much else. Oh, I did have another layout picked up for publication. It will be in Scrapbook Trends in November. Pretty cool to be in two issues back to back...OK I will try to be a better blogger....

rambling update of sorts...

2008-05-27T20:19:00.001-07:00

It has been a while since my last post. Lots going on. Ava was sick, busy with work, bought a horse and a pony, had Ava's 3rd birthday. So I have been busy and too lazy to update. (sorry Cathy)

So I have been dying for a horse for as long as I can remember. That is the main reason we moved to the country,well that and my old neighbor was the spawn of Satan. So after nearly 4 years we finally took the plunge. I bought a dressage and jumping horse named Jasmine. She is beautiful. We are working with a trainer so that I can be The best owner for her. Having a blast....Ava turned 3 and we bought her a pony. He is the sweetest thing ever. He is only a yearling and will need quite a bit of work to ride but he has so much potential. We took him for a walk and he did so well. Ava just adores him. So cute to watch her with him!...Ok I forget what else has happened enjoy the photos!

Guitar Hero Contest

2008-04-30T05:42:00.001-07:00

So the Rock out the Rosebud was a great time. Jonah placed 5th in the hard categoy. I was quite pleased. There were 142 entries and 37 in the hard category. He competed with all age groups. I think he did very well. Too bad we didn't know about the costume ability to score extra points. He so could have won a prize pack if he had dressed up. Oh well...

Not much new here...I am running every day. Makes me happy. I am trying to be smart about the process. I am eating healthy. Working out and trying to find joy in the small successes. I am feeling more energetic and stronger every day. It is amazing what not exercising does to you. I am quite happy that my endurance is recovering quite quickly...So, that is all for now...Have a great day!

Happy Saturday!

2008-04-26T07:16:00.004-07:00

This is where I will be today...Guitar Hero 111 Contest with Jonah. He has mad guitar skills and usually is 5 staring songs on hard. He actually beat Through the Fire and Flames on Thursday. I am not sure if you all are up on the difficulty level of the song but it is insane. He was so proud he had me take a photo of the TV. So, anyway today we will be rocking out watching Jonah on the stage and big screens. Wish him luck!

I felt a little crafty last night. I made this layout of Ava and I. I love the photo and just wanted to get some of my thoughts down on paper. I will say I think my paper scrapping skills, or lack there of leave a lot to be desired. I am trying to just let the pages go where they will and have fun doing them. Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Happy Saturday!

2008-04-26T07:16:00.001-07:00

Wednesday ramblings

2008-04-23T19:56:00.000-07:00

I have decided to quit working by 5 every day. I was so tired of the kids eating so late. They probably need something more nutritious than frozen pizza. We all know I am not into cooking but I was feeling pretty bad for them. I will say that have never complained once. It has helped with my stress as well...I actually felt like picking up my camera today. That doesn't happen much these days. I do miss it though. I got a few cute one of the Ava and Chase and our cat Molly...I am planning a trip with my friends Cathy and Michelle. They are going to get to meet Ava. She is very excited. That is all for now. Have a lovely day!

One week

2008-04-19T09:07:00.000-07:00

Not much new or exciting...Just work and home and repeat.. Ava is growing sunflowers. She is so excited watching them sprout up. Here are a few pics of them one week apart. See how riviting my blog has become! LOL

A little update...

2008-04-11T07:25:00.000-07:00

I have not been blogging so much lately. I am so busy at work and not geting home until 7 so I am pretty tired these days...Last weekend we went to Chicago. Made a trip to Ikea. Got some new things for the boys rooms. Hope to get things assembled this weekend...No trip to Chicago is complete without a visit to American girl! We have been but Ava had not. She took her Bitty Twin "Quinnie" (she named her herself LOL) She had her hair done and had a great time...Not much else exciting going on here...

I'm Back!!

2008-04-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

My computer has been under the weather. I was so relieved to learn that all my data was OK. It was hard to be without it for almost 2 weeks. So that is why I have not been blogging.

Since I last posted,we have adopted 2 baby goats. Daisy and Katie. They are so sweet! We are having so much fun with them. They were born on February 10. They have to be bottle fed twice a day. Ava really loves feeding them. My only regret is not getting them sooner. We love them so much! Hope to post again soon!

What I've been up to...

2008-03-13T19:27:00.000-07:00

I have been working eleven hour days...Ava has had the flu...Getting ready for a road trip to NY..did I mention working eleven hour days?...I am so tired. Can't quite seem to get into a routine. Ava is taking some time to get adjusted to her new day care. I don't know who has a tougher time-her or mama. Hope things get better next week.

So, I promised some photos of Ava and George. They are a little late. They are not so great. Gotta love that fluorescent lighting and flash! Anyway, she had a blast. I was really surprised she was not afraid at all.

I have to head out to see my lovely friends at 7am so I should get packing. Have a lovely weekend!

Happy Birthday Jonah

2008-03-07T12:33:00.000-08:00

I cant believe he is eleven already. In honor of Jonah,here are a few little bits about him at eleven...I am so proud of my little man. He is so mature and quiet. He is brilliant. He plays the guitar. He also plays the trumpet in the school band. He is kind. He is perfect. I love you Jonah!!

2008-03-01T07:37:00.000-08:00

Wow it has been a week since I blogged! I have been busy though. Ava and I went in to help at John's office. We worked Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. She wore her Tinkerbell scrubs. She was so good. The patients really enjoyed her. Who wouldn't like going to work if all you heard was how beautiful, smart, and funny you are. I don't think she is going to have any problems with self esteem. :) As her reward for being so good, we are going to see Curious George at the Children's Museum in Indianapolis. She loves him so I am sure she will have a blast. I will post some photos tomorrow. :) Have a wonderful Saturday!

Happy Saturday!

2008-02-23T13:13:00.000-08:00

What a great day! Not much going on. Ava is helping her daddy build something which gave me time to organize my scrap room. This in turn inspired me to make a paper layout. I was feeling stressed about how good or not so good- my paper skills are that I was not having any fun. The I said to myself-stop stressing this is supposed to be fun. I agreed with myself. I am glad we had our chat because I like my layout and it was even fun! Hope you have a lovely Saturday.

This is love....

2008-02-20T08:50:00.000-08:00

I love these photos of Ava and my Sophie. I think she is gonna be a dog person too. :) Actually she already is...makes My heart smile.

I have been working on the house lately. Been painting and removing wallpaper. One room left and the house will be paper free!! I am sure that the paper in my house was quite possibly the ugliest ever! I am trying to convince John that we should paint the kitchen cabinets. He is on the fence about it. I bought a cabinet like my kitchen and I am going to experiment on it. Cross your fingers!!!

I have been seriously considering something as of late. I have had several people trying to convince me to start a photography business. I would appreciate any thoughts anyone may have on this. Since I decided to take this semester off school I would have the time for it. Just don't know ifI am ready artistically or emotionally. Like I said any thoughts???

Happy Valentines Day!

2008-02-14T09:27:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day to you! We have been crafting. Ava made her Daddy a card. She is really getting into arts and crafts. However, her nails are black from the all the stamping ink. People probably think I never wash the child's hands...We made cupcakes yesterday. It was my first time baking them from scratch. They were vanilla with home made buttercream icing. If you have only had cupcakes from a mix, these are quite different. Very tasty! I got my recipie from Chockylit ...John bought me a watch for Christmas that I returned. I had the money stashed for when I found something I wanted. After talking with my friend Ana she convinced me I needed a splurge. So, I bought the AMAZING 28mm 1.8 lens. I LOVE it. I love having the ability to get a wide angle shot and also take portraits without moving so far back. I plan on playing with it a lot so be on the look out for new pics!!Hope your day is filled wth LOVE!!

2008-02-11T14:25:00.000-08:00

We had a great weekend. Jonah had his sleepover. They were really good boys. Ava was such a little flirt. She really is a people person...We did a little shopping in Indy. I took Ava to Archivers. We bought some goodies to make valentines. She had a blast. She is really into stamping. We bought some animal stamps to play with. I will post some photos of our creations. Hope you all have a great evening!

Happy Friday!

2008-02-08T15:47:00.000-08:00

So happy for Friday! Not any big plans. Jonah is having a friend over tonight. I thought it was sweet he took him in the office and said he wanted to show him something cool...My layout is in the Fast and Fabulous idea book. Such a sweet boy.

I have been getting some really cute photos of Ava. I got these of her singing where is Thumbkin? Made a little storyboard for your viewing pleasure...Have a wonderful weekend!!

Quick post...

2008-02-07T12:58:00.000-08:00

just a quick post. Ava was so adorable eatting cherries... Be back later with more photos...

Monday...

2008-02-04T06:53:00.000-08:00

It is Monday. They seem to come about rather quickly...I had a conversation with Ava this morning.
Ava "Love you all the skies and stars."
Moma "Who do you love?
Ava "You Mommy."
Moma "Why do you love me?
Ava "'Cause you're booful Mommy."

Thought this was so cute....
I have a busy week ahead so I will try to update before the end of the week.
I will leave you with a couple of photos. Love the one of Ava and my mom. They adore each other.

Playing with paper...

2008-02-02T15:45:00.000-08:00

I have been printing off photos today. I thought it was about time I got some of them up on the wall. I just love framing photos. I was actually inspired to create an actual paper scrapbook layout. Haven't done that in oh, maybe a year? It was fun. I actually made it 11x14 and framed it for Ava's room. Not a very good photo but itis pretty cute, if I do say so myself. Stay tuned, I plan on scrapping as long as I have the bug. :) Enjoy your evening!!

Happy Friday...

2008-02-01T12:10:00.000-08:00

It is Friday which makes me happy. Not that I have any exciting plans. But it is the weekend so I am happy. I have been scrapping more lately which has made me happy. I wish I had more time to just play in photoshop. Don't we all?.....Here is my latest creation which I have printed and framed and hanging on my wall. :) See how creative I have been? Hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Trying to get motivated...

2008-01-29T22:50:00.001-08:00

After my last post, I decided to try to get the creative juices flowing. It was actually fun! Maybe there will be more to come. Have a lovely day!

Contemplating

2008-01-25T10:34:00.000-08:00

I have been contemplating scrapbooking a lot these days. I am going through a bit of a dry spell to say the least. It isn't because I don't think about it. I do, actually, I think about it a great deal. I tell myself that it is because I am so busy with things that I just don't have time. I think I could find the time if I really was motivated. Could it be that my love for scrapping is dying? Is this because I love my camera more than paper? I have noticed that my blog seems to be more of my outlet these days. Maybe it is stealing my desire to create? I hope that scrapping has not become a hobby that I used to do. I did get quite a lot out of the craft. So if anyone has been through this type of thing, any advice?

Brrr

2008-01-23T06:41:00.001-08:00

It is a toasty 10 degrees this morning and it is actually supposed to get colder as the day progresses. Here is a photo I took on my sun room this morning. I think it sums up the temperature... Have a lovely day!

2008-01-12T15:43:00.000-08:00

I don't know anything exciting...Just wanted to share a couple of photos of Miss Ava from today...Hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend!!

Hello

2008-01-11T22:09:00.000-08:00

I have survived my first week of classes. I am happy it is over...Not much going on here. Between school and all I have managed to watch all of season 2 and 3 of my new favorite show!!The Office!! I had not watched it before November and I fell in love. For Christmas, Drake bought me all three seasons on DVD and I am all caught up!! Now I am in love with 2 men- besides my husband- Dr Derek Sheppard and Jim Halpert. LOL I know I am a super dork...I am desperate for the writer's strike to end. I am so missing my Grey's and now the office...

Since it is now after midnight it is my mom's birthday! Happy birthday Mom!! I love you!!

Here are a few photos for you all. One for my Mom and a fun one of Ava's Thomas. I was trying to get him puffing his steam...See how boring I am? lol

Back to school...

2008-01-07T18:49:00.000-08:00

I am now back in school. Christmas was good. I am too lazy to post pics. Maybe this week I will get around to it. I just wanted to spend as much time with the family as possible before heading back to school. I made it through the first day so the anticipation is over. I am trying to be possitive. At the end of this semester, I will have a year in and begin my clinicals in the fall. If I can make it through Microbiology and Anatomy/Physiology part II...Wish me luck

Here are a couple of layouts I did over the holiday...

Santa Photo

2007-12-22T13:31:00.001-08:00

We convinced Ava to sit on Santa's lap. She still wouldn't without me. At least she gave a little smile. Too bad they cut most of her head off LOL.

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!

It's almost Christmas!!!

2007-12-21T05:55:00.000-08:00

I am excited for Christmas. Ava is really getting into it this year. The boys are older and not so excited. I am really looking forward to spending time with all of my family. My brother is planning for he and Jonah to play music together. I think it will be fun!

We made a gingerbread house on Sunday. Jonah is such a perfectionist so he got a little anoyed with Miss Ava. It was so cute to watch them. Here are a few pics of the house. Hope you have a lovely day and enjoy the season!!

Photos!!!

2007-12-16T19:12:00.000-08:00

Yes it has been a while since I blogged. I have been busy and I am happy to report that I am on winter break!! So completely happy about that. Maybe now I can get ready for Christmas...

We got some snow last night and Ava was so happy about it. She couldn't wait to get out in it. She and Jonah played outside for quite a while. She is already talking about going out in it tomorrow. They both had so much fun. Tonight they made a gingerbread house but I have not uploaded my photos yet. Hope you enjoy the photos. I am sure I will be posting a lot more since I now have so much more free time. :)

Halloween Photos

2007-11-03T23:06:00.000-07:00

Halloween Photos-sort of. I didnt get any of Jonah. He is not too excited about it. I hope to get one of him in his costume soon. Since he says it is his last year of trick or treating. We'll see....Been super busy with school. This week was a blur. I am so ready for it to be over. I am just sick of studing...I will try to be a better blogger...Hope you enjoy the photos :)

Hello

2007-10-14T20:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, it has been a while since my last post. I have been busy with midterms. I am extremely happy to report that my grades are good. I am so looking forward to Christmas break. Three weeks with no studies...

I have a few new photos of Ava. There is one of her and a worm. It may seem like any ordinary photo but it was a big step. She has been a bug killing machine this summer. Last week she and Jonah had a woolly worm. We all were playing with it and we let it go. She proceeded to stomp on it and proudly proclaim ,"I keeled it Mama!" I, being the super animal/creature freak, try to explain how sad it was that she did this. The only way I could get my point across was to say it can't go home to it's mommy now. Yes, I know I am extreme and I probably have scarred her for life. OK, so today she found a worm. She wanted me to pick it up. I said "Are you going to be gentle? Will you be nice to the worm?" She said she would. I pick it up and ask her if she would like to hold it. She says she is scared. I convince her that it will not hurt her. She lets it sit on her leg. She then want to hold the worm I place him (I think it is a him) in her palm. She then says,"let's put him down." I ask her if she is afraid and to remember to be nice." She says, "No, I not 'fraid. I want him down to see his mama." I think I really did get through to her. I hope she isn't too emotionally damaged...

Homecoming Pics

2007-10-03T14:29:00.003-07:00

Just a quick post. Just wanted to share a few photos from homecoming. Have a great day!

quick post

2007-09-18T17:34:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post. Click onthe link for a few more pics Super busy... Nothing like some quality time with my camera. Hope you have a lovely day!

a few photos

2007-09-17T15:24:00.000-07:00

Not much new here. I have been studying a lot and I am in the midst of potty training Ava. My mom is so much help with this. I swear I would let her pee in her pants until kindergarten... Here are a few photos from the weekend. Don't you love Avas super cheesy smile? Have a lovely day!

Tagged

2007-09-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Amy and asked to post 7 random things about myself. I am only going to halfway complete the tag as I don't want to re-tag anyone...

1. I don't eat red meat. I love animals too much. :)

2. My birthday is Christmas and yes, it does bite.

3. I love to travel but hate to fly. I always feel like I will surely plummet to my death.

4. I love to run :)

5. I have birthday parties for my dogs :)

6. My favorite day of the year is Christmas Eve.

7. I hate to cook but love to bake.

OK, so this is what I will be purchasing today. I wish I could say that I would be spending all night enraptured by Dempsey but I have a lab quiz tomorrow and my first Chemistry exam Thursday. I thin I will sit it next to my bed so that the last image in my head is .... OK, I really need to get a life

Been a while...

2007-09-10T08:06:00.001-07:00

It has been a little while since my last post. I have been quite busy with school. I am really enjoying it but it is a lot more work than I remember. I am getting into a routine and feeling much calmer and confident. I will let you know about any changes after my first exam next week...

I went to Rockome Gardens yesterday. It is an Amish Community-well Amishlike. I technically didn't see Any Amish. I got a few cute shots. I also went on an hour long horseback ride. My bum is a little tender today. but not so bad. I love to ride and it always refuels my desire to own my own horse or three. They also told me of a beautiful Mustang they will be selling. She is beautiful. I just adore mustangs. I will be begging and pleading with John for the next 5 days. But I doubt any of my pleas are going to be effective. Oh well I can dream....

I have been running every free chance I get. Trying to get my but back into race shape. The Susan G Komen Race for the Cure is October 6. I am feeling pretty good about it. I would just like to get my time down a bit. My only goal is 1. Not to puke. 2. Finish faster than last year.

Also here are a couple of layouts I did recently. Hope you enjoy!

PSA Tomorrow is the day to purchase the Grey's Anatomy Season 3 Seriously Extended DVD collection. I will be purchasing and drooling over every McDreamy moment until the Season Premire....Thank heaven for such beautiful pleasures....

OK that is all I have...Have a lovely day!

Its Official...

2007-08-24T21:13:00.000-07:00

It is official. I am a college student once again. I can't believe I am actually doing it. I am glad to have the first week behind me. I am also happy to report that there are at least 3 people older than I am. They are all in their fifties. So I guess it is never too late.

Here are a few photos of Ava jumping on her bed last night and her taking a photo of mommy. Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

2007-08-20T14:13:00.000-07:00

I am home from MD. We had a girls weekend. It was so much fun. I got to hang out with the most amazing women. Not to mention fell in love with a man I can not have... Don'tget too excited it is just Buddy the dog. I dont think I have stayed up that late since high school. It was just like a big slumber party. Here are a few photos...

Weekend recap

2007-08-13T10:10:00.000-07:00

The weekend was was quick as usual.... Friday night my mom had a heath scare and we really haven't had many answers so please keep her in your prayers....

Saturday did a little shopping - getting ready to see my friends this weekend. It will be so nice to see everyone!! Feeling a little sad about going alone but I think it will be nice too.

Sunday we went to Turkey Run State Park. It is so nice there. Love all the trails and scenery. It was out first trip there with Ava. She did very well. She never asked to be carried and manage to make 1.7 mile trail. She did get a few piggy back rides :) She also got to ride a pony. It was a little different from other rides as they just brought the pony out and gave me the lead. It was so fun for her! Here are a few pics hope you have a lovely day!

2007-08-08T11:16:00.001-07:00

Back from Florida

We are back! Had a great time. Just the girls-Ava, my mom, and me. We spent most of our time on the beach. We drove to Orlando for the day to have dinner with Cinderella. In typical disney fashion we endured heavy rains for the entire morning. It did clear off and we had a wonderful time at Cinderella's Royal Table. Ava was mesmerized by her. It was so cute to watch her! Here is a slideshow of the trip. Have a lovely day! Click on the X for a slideshow!!

Back form Florida!

2007-08-08T11:15:00.001-07:00

2007-07-23T12:13:00.000-07:00

Hello all! We took the kids to Hawthorne Park in Indiana on Sunday. It is close by and we had never visited. It was quite fun exploring the trails. There was also a labyrinth. We will probably head back sometime soon.

My friend Stacey has really inspired me. She is a busy Pediatrician and is taking time away from her practice to travel to Cambodia to treat children for a week. Please keep her in your prayers as she travels.

Mini Golf

2007-07-21T13:01:00.000-07:00

We took Ava and Jonah mini golfing on Friday. They had a lot of fun. Ava didn't quite get the concept but she enjoyed herself. They also got to jump on the bungee trampoline. Not much else going on. Have a lovely day!

Hellllooooooo

2007-07-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

I don't know if anyone still checks my blog. It has been a long time! I have been feeling guilty about not posting so I thought today was a good day to start!

We took Ava to Libby Lu. She is proving to be quite the {girly girl}!! I am having so much fun with her! Here are some photos of the {makeover}. Have a lovely day!!

Sunday already?

2007-01-28T21:02:00.000-08:00

It is Sunday and I would say that I feel like I have had no weekend at all but I feel like the weekend had been very tiring. Jonah had 3, yes three boys, spend the night on Saturday. I guess it was not too bad. I did have a moment where I felt I was really an adult. Two of the boys were talking to their "girlfriends" and they kept calling our house every five minutes from 11:30 to 12:00. I finally had to pick up the phone and tell the little ladies that I would appreciate it if they would not call anymore that night. I was nice to them but I felt really old. I probably would not have minded so much had Ava not been sleeping. Isn't 9 too young for that anyway? I asked Jonah if he had a girlfriend and he said,"No, I think it is stupid. What are you going to do? Will you go out with me? But you never really {go} anywhere." I felt better.

I am taking a photography class with one of my idols http://www.amberludlowphotodesign.typepad.com/ It is a lot of fun so far. I posted my assignment for this week. We were supposed to shoot a non-human in different settings for a variety of effects. I love how it came out.

Anyway that is about all I can think of for now.

Happy Wednesday + Photos!

2007-01-10T20:36:00.000-08:00

It was a lovely chilly day in Illinois today. I took Ava out for a bit of fresh air. I managed to get a couple of pretty good shots. I am excited to taking a photography class from one of my idols http://amberludlowphotodesign.typepad.com I hope to get into the February class as well. It should be a lot of fun! I am hoping to build my confidence. Someday, I hope to make a little cash to support this habit.....

Don't forget to watch Grey's!!!!! Yum!

Bad Blogger!

2007-01-08T20:52:00.000-08:00

Bad Blogger, that would be me. Here are a few ramblings. Forgive me as I am a little rusty...

It was a crazy wonderful holiday. Christmas was my birthday. January 2 was John's, Drake had his 13th on Sunday, my mom will on the 12th.....Ugh if I have to eat another flippin piece of cake I swear I am going to throw up...

Ava had the nastiest virus last week. Then Jonah. Then Chase. Then my mom. I am very happy to report it did not get me!

I had another publication request to start off the new year! That was exciting!

I am sure I forgot a bunch I will try to do better......I will leave you with a few layouts. Have a wonderful Tuesday! :)

Happy Friday Eve!

2006-12-14T21:07:00.000-08:00

I am a little tired tonight. I have been shopping all day with Ava and my mom. The good news is the majority of my gifts are purchased! I even received my packages from Pottery Barn Kids! I really wanted to give Ava her Hanna doll and carrier. I had them to monogram with Ava's name. It is Cuuuute! I just need the little goodies for the kids stockings. I plan on picking them up tomorrow. I will the get to do my favorite part...The wrapping!! This Christmas is quite fun!

I posted the Christmas card I made. I still LOVE digi!!

Monday Already???

2006-12-10T20:51:00.000-08:00

Weekends are never long enough. I have been Christmas shopping like a mad woman this week. I am starting to see the light. I am having so much fun shopping for Ava this year. She loves dolls and all of the accessories. Fun!!!

Here is layout I did this weekend. If anyone needs me, I will probably be standing in line somewhere.....

Happy Grey's Eve!!

2006-12-06T23:55:00.000-08:00

Yes I know I am a total dork! I am sorry Stacy got me hooked on Grey's. I can't wait for Thursdays to watch!!!! Can you believe I actually said McDreamy wasn't so hot???? I am eating my words. I do also like some McSteamy....{sigh}.....

I scrapped a little tonight. I just loved the photo of Ava and I am wondering why I had not scrapped it sooner.

I am really wanting an awesome point and shoot camera. I have looked at a few and think I am going to go with the Canon elph 7 mega pixel. It seems pretty quick and has image stablilization. I just hate lugging the 5D everywhere. I just want a little one to throw in my purse. I know I drive my husband nuts. Oh well.....

:)

2006-12-04T21:45:00.000-08:00

I have been busy tonight. I took photos for my brother and made him digi Christmas cards. I thought i was critical of myself but I think my brother has me beat. I think he is handsome. Stop being so hard on yourself. :) I also managed to scrap a layout. I am really getting a sore bum from sitting in my chair all evening. Happy Tuesday everyone!

Happy Monday. If there is such a thing...

2006-12-03T23:02:00.000-08:00

Been busy lately. Attended birthday for my niece Gabby, Started Christmas shopping, holiday photo shoot, photo shoot for John's office, made Christmas cards, did my holiday decorating... Whew here is a review in photos. Happy Monday.... :)

Publication requests

2006-11-21T17:29:00.000-08:00

I have finally broken the publication barrier! I didn't think I ever would. The first digi layout I submitted was picked up by Cantata for their Amazing Digital Designs book. I received a request from Scrapbook Trends on Friday for the same layout. :( I would have rather been in the magazine. I also received an email from Cantata requesting me to submit more work. I am sure I sound like a big dork but I am so excited! I guess I should have went digi a long time ago. I also cut my hair very short this week. The phot is not so great but you get the idea. I am loving that I am out the door in 30 minutes!! :) Hope everyone is having a great day!

Been a while

2006-11-15T07:40:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a while. Not feeling like blogging or much else. I have been very lazy about my workouts too. I am going to try harder...It is hard to believe the holidays are so close. I am really looking forward to them. Ava is very excited to experience anything new. She makes me so happy and live in the moment. Aren't babies amazing? Here are a few layouts...Have a great day! :)

Family Night

2006-10-19T21:40:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had a family night. John and Chase were at a football game so Jonah, Ava, and I had a family night with my parents. Dad and Jonah picked up take out while Ava and Mom baked sugar cookies. I wish we had more nights like this. Here is a few layouts from today. Hope everyone has a lovely Friday! :)

Pumpkin Patch

2006-10-18T20:05:00.000-07:00

The kids always love going to Pumpkin Works. I do not. I went along since this is Ava's first year. She had a great time. I guess I am stuck going for a few more years. I was glad that I went because I got some great photos. I haven't yet scraped any of them. Not much new. One new saying from Ava. Let me first say that I have really tried to cut out my swearing. It is hard. But I do not want my child having a sailor mouth. Anyway- she drops something today and she says "Uh Oh Poop!" I guess it is better than the s word......

5K been there done that!!

2006-10-14T18:33:00.000-07:00

Today was the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure 5K. It was a toasty 34 degrees this morning. I not only managed to run the entire race in arctic temps but also cut 7 minutes off my time last week. I am really happy that for once I set a goal and followed through. It was a good race even if it was cold. I think I will try more in the future but I really wasn't into the cold. Perhaps I will shoot for a few in the spring. Not much else new I posted a layout I did last week. Hope you all are having a fabulous weekend! :)

This time I wasn't being lazy!!!

2006-10-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

This most recent lack of blogging was actually not out of my laziness. I was without internet for an entire week. We had a fence put in for our doggies and the installers hit my cable for my satellite and apparently if the cable has a big kink it will interfere with the satellite and my blogging capabilities. So I think we are good for now...While I was without internet I have been digitally scrapping my bum off. I can't say enough about my recent infatuation for digital scrapbooking! It rocks! I still am loving that I don't have to drag out my stash to make something.

I am getting ready for my first 5K race this Saturday. I did a trial run today and I did not die. I actually ran the entire time and I am excited. The race by the way is the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure. I think that is a pretty awesome first race. Wish me luck. Have a fabulous Monday!!

Dabbling in Digi!

2006-09-27T21:03:00.000-07:00

OK, I have been lazy but this time I have another excuse. I forgot my blogger password/username. I know I am a dork. So, I have been a little creative the past few days. I have been wanting to learn a few digital skills. I am having a blast! I never thought it would be for me but I tell you it is addicting! The really cool part is there is no mess and if you don't like something just delete it. How cool is that? I also have been cleaning like a mad woman. Ava's play area was quite a disaster. So thanks mom for your help. :) Hope you have a fabulous Friday eve! :)

Being a little lazy..

2006-09-23T20:10:00.000-07:00

OK , So I have been a little lazy.-maybe a lot- I haven't been feeling much like doing anything. I did manage to do a layout today. It is a total scraplift of Shannon Zickel from September CK. I thought it may get the wheels turning again. I do love the photo of my Ava. I think she may possibly be the most adorable 1 year old ever.

It has been a dreary weekend and not much to do. We had planned to go to the Pumpkin Patch but the weather did not cooperate. I guess we will try for next weekend. Hope everyone has a beautiful Sunday. :)

A Girls Weekend! :)

2006-09-11T20:20:00.000-07:00

I had a girls only weekend in Chicago. I got to meet my friend Stacey in real life. We had big shopping plans but not so much luck. I had fun just hanging out and getting to know each other better. It is cool to meet someone with so many similarities. I hope to get together again for a little Target shopping. :) I posted a few photos. I think it might possibly be the worst photo I have ever taken. Stacey you look adorable. :) I must say it was cold and misting rain and what can you really expect when you ask a stranger to snap a photo. At least we have a photo. :) It was nice to have a kid free weekend but I must say I really missed everyone. Hope everyone had a great weekend. :)

Happy Birthday :)

2006-09-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

Busy day running errands. Tonight we attended my niece Bela's third birthday party. She is so cute. She was irritate with her big sister for not sharing her "mape-up" (make-up) She didn't even have any lipstick on her eyes. Too funny. I posted a photo I shot of her a couple weeks ago. Isn't she gorgeous. Happy Birthday little one.

Not much else to say. Sorry for the boring post. :)

What I have been up to...

2006-09-05T09:51:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a great long weekend! It was very nice here in Illinois. I was feeling inspired to do a little fall decorating. It helps that Ava is really enjoying of the festive decorations. She picked out the wreath on the door. She has to kiss all three scarecrows every day. She is so fun. :)

This week I have so many little errands. I hate it when everything happens the same week. The dogs have their grooming appointments today. I have my "grooming" on Wednesday, and a Dr appointment on Thursday. Whew... I will be ready for the weekend. It should be lots of fun...

That is all for now. Have a great day! :)

Happy Sunday!

2006-09-03T21:46:00.000-07:00

I had quite the busy day. I did a little {ok a lot of} shopping. I am very excited I got my own purse! I know it sounds rather lame. I had given up carrying my own purse since Ava was born. I just pretty much threw my wallet and cell in the diaper bag. After 15 1/2 months I have my own bag again! :) I also got a few clothes. I didn't want to get a lot since I am still on my weight loss program. I thought loosing 9 pounds I should get a pair of jeans that didn't sag in the butt. I am hoping to motivate myself to get the remaining 7 pounds off. I am happy that I am on the right track. I am happy to report my resting heart rate was 55 last week. I am excited. I get excited easily a new purse, low pulse, going to Target. I am a dork.

Above is a layout I did Friday. My Jonah looking so cute. :)

Hope you have a great holiday! :)